Cuc Vu
Chief Diversity Officer
Cuc Vu came to the United States with her family as U.S.troops were evacuating Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War. Today, Vu works for the Human Rights Campaign to broaden community support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality and to make diversity a critical element of HRC’s culture.
A native of Olympia, Wash., Vu majored in art history and public policy analysis at Pomona College, while also playing varsity soccer for the Sagehens. She went on to study at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs to earn her master’s degree in public affairs. Since graduating, Vu has, among many professional experiences, worked as the immigration campaign manager for the Service Employees International Union, where her calm leadership helped establish SEIU as the most effective union on immigration issues, according to The Washington Post. While at SEIU, Vu demonstrated a keen ability to build broad coalitions and honed her organizing and political skills under the mentorship of Eliseo Medina, one of the country’s most influential Latino leaders.
Prior to SEIU, Vu worked at the AFL-CIO as an advocate for working women, the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Humanities Alliance. In addition to these jobs, Vu has been involved in her community as a board member and volunteer for the National Immigration Forum, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Vu now serves as one of the founding board members of the Civic Participation Campaign, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build the political influence of immigrants by growing the electorate with potentially 23 million new immigrant voters through citizenship and voter registration drives, issue education and advocacy campaigns and get-out-the-vote strategies. Through all of these efforts, Vu has worked to promote the interests of many different groups — women, GLBT people, the homeless, the urban poor, artists and humanists and immigrants.
Currently, Vu is the chief diversity officer of the Human Rights Campaign. In that position, she provides the strategic vision and program planning for HRC’s diversity work. Founded in 1980, HRC is the country’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.